INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The most important thing in man’s life his health hygiene in hotel

industry is presently very dissatisfactory and this to a very large

extent play an important role in the aetiology of food borne

disease. Hygiene generally focuses on four aspect of cleanliness:

personal equipment food and environment hygiene.

Producing and keeping food safe remains a world wide public

health problem.

Ceserani (2003) defined hygiene as the precautionary measures

undertaken to prevent foo contamination and illness. Hygiene is

the study of health and prevention of disease. Hygiene is the

science and practice of preserving health and is one of the

important subjects for all persons working in food and beverage

department most especially the kitchen section to study

understand and practice in their every day working lives. This

subject is broken down into four as we said earlier before we

need effective supervision and maintenance of good sanitary

condition within and storage areas and a proper disposal of waste.

Foot handlers should not only know hygiene principles but must

follow the rules and regulations and keep them. They should be

aware of those micro-organisms that causes food poisoning and

their effect where they do not they run the risk of giving

customers poisonous and contaminated foods. Poor hygiene

standard causes food borne disease reduces patronage and builds

bad reputation of the hotel thereby affecting its success. Hygiene

practices have been in existence for quite a long time. May of the

rules and regulations were based on practical knowledge of eating

clean and safe food to ensure good health and longevity of the

citizenry. Because of this the study of micro-organism responsible

for food poisoning and disease were known through a pioneer

scientist Louis Pasteur who discovered rabbis sterilization and

pasteurization methods. His work revealed that when foods are

sterilize that micro organisms cannot grow on them exception

from hands of food handlers outside the food or infects

materials/.

The industrial revolution which started in England in 1840 was

another striking factor which brought the emergence of food

hygiene. During this period there was extensive industrial use of

newly developed machines and mass production techniques.

Diseases emanated due to rural-urban migration by masses in

search of greener pastures. Public Health Act of 1848 which dealt

with public health measures related to sales of food therefore

regulation of food hygiene become concretized.

During the first and second world war there was an increase in

bulk manufacturers of food for communal feeding in most parts of

the world. The preparation centers became over utilized including

staff. Most people handling food had little knowledge of hygiene

practices therefore paid little or no attention to rules and

regulations of hygiene which eventually resulted in the gross

contamination of food.

Kaduna state is one of the populated states in northern Nigeria.

With many hotels such as Asa’a Pyramid Hotel and Hamdala Hotel.

Hygiene education has therefore become necessary to create

awareness from time to time to both staff of hotels and members

of the public of the need to safeguard the production preparation

and preservation of foods and beverages from possible

contaminants to render foods and beverages meant for human

consumptions sterile or totally free from micro-organisms or food

poisoning.

Kipps (2000) said that micro-organisms or germs may be

introduced into food through harvesting transporting store or

environment during preparation of food. Poisonous substances

may be produced by the growth of bacteria and moulds in food.

Available data indicate that most all cases of food borne diseases

are caused by micro-organisms and that mis-handling of food is

often responsible for the resulting illness and in some cases death.

The food and beverages department in an hotel industry is where

food and beverages is produced prepared and served to the

consumer/guest. Food and beverages department is divided into

sections:

i. Kitchen

ii. Restaurant

iii. Bar

iv. Banqueting/conferences

v. Room service

The hotel industry is usually defined by it’s output of products

which satisfy demand for food drinks and accommodation. Hotel

industry cannot remain in business without customers who provide

the sources of revenue for the continued financial viability of the

operation. The customer is directly involved in many aspects of

the delivery of the hotel industry services and is the judge of the

quality of food and services provided.

Food may look clean with no offensive flavor/odour and be

dangerous to health. Food handlers play an important role in

ensuring food safety throughout the chain of production

processing storage preparation and serving.

Mishandling and disregard of hygienic measures on their part may

enable pathogens to come into contact with food and in some

cases to survive and multiply in sufficient numbers to cause illness

for the consumer.

The sequence of events whereby a food handler may contaminate

food in such away as to cause food borne diseases is as follows:

(1) Pathogens are shed in faeces urine or discharge from the

nose ears or other areas of exposed skin in sufficient

quantity.

(2) Pathogens are transferred to the hands or exposed parts of

the body which come into direct or indirect contact with the

food.

(3) The organisms survive for long enough to be transferred to

food.

(4) The food that is contaminated is not treated in such a way as

to destroy the organisms before they reach the customer.

Hotel industry could be a high risk area unless adequate measures

are taken to ensure that safety of guest and employees. So there

is the need for proper training of employees in the use and

handling of equipment and to live an hygienic life. The kitchen

restaurant and other food and beverages section required

attention. The food services operation must maintain a level of

hygiene within and around industry because food is of no value to

the caterer if it is of poor quality when delivered. Efficient catering

establishment should ensure that all food are checked for quality

as they are delivered.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Some basic problem identified are:

Some hotel industry are not operating in line with food hygiene

and safety policy. The hygiene standard of the equipment is not

also maintained in hotel industry. Most food handlers are

non-professional (non-caterer) and as such they are ignorant of

the hygiene rules and regulations. There is no implementation of

food safety act and regulation.

1.3 Significance of the Study

The importance of this research is to come out with standards of

hygiene should acceptable with reference to personal

environment equipment and food hygiene with the following

points:

To encourage cleanliness to food handlers in other to avoid food

borne diseases. Also various health hazard resulting from borne

diseases and adulterated drinks shall be brought under control. To

encourage regular medical check-up on employees before and

after employing them in addition to the presentation of a clean

medical bill and regularly check-up at intervals of six months

should be encouraged. To ensure that food supplied to the

consumer is adequate in quality and quantity as demanded by the

consumers and also not injurious to the consumer health.

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The aims of this project is to carry out more research on how to

improve the hygiene standard in food and beverages department

of the hotel industry. Specifically the objectives of this study is to:

1. Know the importance of hygiene in hotel industry and to

protect public against injury to health through the

consumption of unhygienically prepared food and drinks.

2. To access the level of hygiene in food and beverages

department whether it is in line with hygiene laws and to

offer possible suggestions so as to improve hygiene

standards for the safety of the consumers.

3. To restrain the sales of food and drinks which are

unhygienically prepared adulterated contaminated spoil

and improperly preserved.

4. Conduct public health surveillance of food premises food

handlers equipment used for food processing.

5. To ensure proper inspection and registration of all food

premises or areas.

6. To ensure adequate waste disposal as well as vermins and

pest control in food establishment.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This study is restricted to the food handlers and guests of Hamdala

Hotel and Asa’a Pyramid Hotel Kaduna. There are evidence which

shows that there are other hotels but these two hotels were

chosen for study because of time limitation.

1.6 Research Questions

i. How can the importance of hygiene in hotel industry be

examine and ways to protect the public against injury to

health through the consumption of unhygienically prepared

food and drink?

ii. What are the level of hygiene in food and beverages

department and whether it is in line with hygiene laws?

iii. What are the strategies and techniques to restrain the sales

of foods and drinks that are unhygienically prepared

adulterated contaminated spoil and improperly preserved?

iv. How can public health surveillance of food premises food

handlers equipment used for food processing be conducted?

v. What are the challenges against the proper inspection and

registration of all food premises or areas?

vi. What are the recommendations to ensure adequate waste

disposal as well as vermins and pest control in food

establishment?